CRYSTAL FAIRY & THE MAGICAL CACTUS AND 2012 (B+) - An almost documentary-level road trip film from Sebastian Silva ("The Maid") is rescued by a strong cast lifting up a slight script. Michael Cera -- totally in the zone here -- is Jamie, an American in Chile who corrals three local brothers into hunting down a San Pedro cactus for a beachcomber mescaline experience.
First, however, Jamie meets a new-age manic pixie dream girl who goes by the name Crystal Fairy, a fellow American, and invites her on the trip. Almost immediately, Crystal's zen vibe clashes with Jamie's hyperactive personality as a passive-aggressive bully. You'll either love or hate Cera here; this feels like the ultimate skittish man-child he was born to play.
Gaby Hoffmann, a former child actor, is perfect as the uninhibited Crystal Fairy, who quickly earns the nickname Crystal Hairy for the tufts of untended body hair she's not ashamed to show off in front of the boys. She's all about meditation and blessings and talking out her feelings; Jamie just wants to score a cactus and go lose his mind. The brothers, only one of whom speaks decent English, are around mostly to serve as foils and as a charming Greek chorus.
The hunt for the cactus is fun, and their time on the beach culminates in the classic cliche of the confessional around the campfire. The reveals here are both bizarre and underwhelming. But by that time, you've grown fond of all five characters. Silva's hand-held camerawork and smart script produce five very real 20-somethings bouncing off of each other and building up a relationship not only with each other but with the viewer. Cera is a wonder to behold, and Silva wisely follows the actor's lead. A small gem.
TOUCHY FEELY (B-minus) - The impeccable Lynn Shelton ("Humpday," "Your Sister's Sister") wastes a strong cast with this slight mood piece about the healing powers of alternative therapies. My biggest gripe is the reliance on a tired trope -- older characters taking a drug trip to open their minds and hearts -- to bring epiphanies to the main characters.
The entrancing Rosemarie DeWitt is Abby, a masseuse who suddenly not only loses her touch but is repulsed by sight of skin, even that of her boyfriend Jesse (Scoot McNairy). Meantime, her super-meek dentist brother Paul (a distractingly lethargic Josh Pais) resuscitates his practice by finding a magic healing connection with his patients.
Allison Janney is sadly misused here as a cartoonish reiki therapist who counsels Abby and mentors Paul. And Ellen Page ("Juno") seems lost as Paul's daughter Jenny, who has a mental block about applying to college and gets randomly crushy.
Abby pulls away from Jesse immediately after he asks her to move in with her (he was just supposed to be a fun rebound). The cast struggles to find the connections between the characters, and I'm not sure whether most of that was intentional on Shelton's part. Some shots are downright powerful -- such as when Abby is jolted out of a supermarket trance by one big tear falling down her cheek. But other scenes -- Page professing her love out of the blue -- are overwrought.
This is a rare misstep from Shelton. She's normally sure-handed and in sync with her cast. Here, it's not clear what she's going for, and too many of the actors seem either miscast or misguided. Worth it, still, for some of those special moments.
BONUS TRACK
A key song from the "Crystal Fairy" soundtrack, "Man on Fire," from Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros:
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